Paris is currently preparing to host the Olympic Games for 2024.
An iconic sporting event, the world's top athletes will descend upon the French capital for nearly three weeks of action-packed days.
The Sporting News has the key details for this year's opening ceremony.
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When do the Paris Olympics 2024 start?
- Olympics 2024 start date: July 24
This year's Olympic Games will technically begin two days before the opening ceremony.
The first events – group stage football and rugby sevens pool matches – will start on Wednesday, July 24.
On Thursday, July 25, there will be more action with archery and handball thrown into the mix.
The full preliminary schedule is available here.
When is the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony?
- Olympics 2024 opening ceremony date: July 26
The opening ceremony will take place on Friday, July 26. No competition events are scheduled for that date, with full focus to be on France's capital.
In a first for the Games, the ceremony will not be held in a stadium.
Rather, athletes will be showcased as they travel along the Seine – Paris' iconic river.
National delegations will have individual boats, parading for 6km and finishing at the Trocadéro, where the traditional elements of the Olympic protocol will take place.
It is also an event for Parisiens, with free admission for the majority of spectators.
The ceremony will begin at 8:24 pm local time, which cleverly reads 20:24 on a 24-hour clock.
It is unclear how long the proceedings will take, although recent ceremonies have been close to four hours in duration.
Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony start time
| Local (CEST) | 8:24 pm |
| UK (BST) | 7:24pm |
| US (EDT) | 2:24 pm |
| India (IST) | 11:54 pm |
| Japan (JST) | 3:24 am* |
| Australia (AEST) | 4:24 am* |
* +1 day
When do the 2024 Paris Olympics finish?
- Olympics 2024 end date: August 11
The Paris Olympics will wrap up on Sunday, August 11. On the final day, a total of 13 gold medal events will take place, including the women's marathon, men's keirin, men's handball and women's basketball.
The closing ceremony will take place at 8:00 pm local time on the same day.
It will be held at the Stade de France – the location of the athletics and rugby during the Games.